iaf_cond_alpha_mc

THIS MODEL IS A PROTOTYPE FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES. IT IS NOT YET FULLY TESTED. USE AT YOUR OWN PERIL!

iaf_cond_alpha_mc is an implementation of a multi-compartment spiking neuron using IAF dynamics with conductance-based synapses. It serves mainly to illustrate the implementation of multicompartment models in NEST.

The model has three compartments: soma, proximal and distal dendrite, labeled as s, p, and d, respectively. Compartments are connected through passive conductances as follows

A spike is fired when the somatic membrane potential exceeds threshold, V_m.s >= V_th. After a spike, somatic membrane potential is clamped to a reset potential, V_m.s == V_reset, for the refractory period. Dendritic membrane potentials are not manipulated after a spike.

There is one excitatory and one inhibitory conductance-based synapse onto each compartment, with alpha-function time course. The alpha function is normalised such that an event of weight 1.0 results in a peak current of 1 nS at t = tau_syn. Each compartment can also receive current input from a current generator, and an external (rheobase) current can be set for each compartment.

Synapses, including those for injection external currents, are addressed through the receptor types given in the receptor_types entry of the state dictionary. Note that in contrast to the single-compartment iaf_cond_alpha model, all synaptic weights must be positive numbers!

Parameters:

The following parameters can be set in the status dictionary. Parameters for each compartment are collected in a sub-dictionary; these sub-dictionaries are called "soma", "proximal", and "distal", respectively. In the list below, these parameters are marked with an asterisk.